Prime Minister Justin Trudeau falsely denied Friday he ever called unvaccinated Canadians "names.".He was either lying or unable to remember his own words. In fact, he called them "racists and misogynistic.".Trudeau appeared before the Emergencies Act Inquiry — appropriately enough on Black Friday. It was the final day of the Public Order Emergency Commission and the Library and Archives Canada building was jammed with media and the public. Trudeau did his best during the first two hours of his testimony as a government lawyer lobbed softball questions his way..Still, he couldn't always keep his story on track and he made several statements that revealed just how enamoured he was in invoking the Emergencies [War Measures] Act, saying at one point saying it was an option for him "from the beginning." Interestingly, he admitted that he knew the Freedom Convoy was never armed and was not engaging in violence — but he insisted he cracked down on the protest because of the very threat of violence..The prime minister repeatedly said he was concerned about the safety of Ottawa's citizens as he repeated the dubious declaration that Freedom Convoy supporters were insulting and intimidating people wearing masks. Yet he did not explain why he refused to meet with the convoy leaders and he failed to mention that he fled the city in the early days of the protest..In Trudeau's myopic view, the Freedom Convoy sounds more like a biker gang that terrorized the capital..Trudeau's hardened narcissism and contempt for political dissidents were on display as he claimed the Freedom Convoy did not just want to be heard "but obeyed." He said he is "absolutely serene and confident that he made the right decision" in invoking the Emergencies [War Measures] Act..But the hardball questions started after a lunch break. Freedom Convoy-supporting lawyer Eva Chipiuk tore into Trudeau as an ephemeral elitist, lacking empathy for Canadians who suffered as a result of their refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19..She read testimonials from Freedom Convoy supporters.."The truckers and the Canadians who lined the roads, overpasses and highways restored the hope I had almost lost. These patriotic Canadians told me I am not alone. That I matter. I will never forget the hope and pride I felt," read one submission, which added that the Convoy was about "people who gave up everything to come to Ottawa for justice and an explanation.".Chipiuk asked Trudeau, "Do you now understand the reason so many Canadians came to Ottawa?".Trudeau responded that his "job throughout this pandemic was to keep Canadians safe." He reached for another of his favorite smears as he condemned "misinformation," that noted the vaccine could be "more dangerous than the disease.".Chipiuk asked Trudeau, "When did you start to be afraid of your own citizens?".That sparked a mild outburst of approval from the capacity crowd and provoked Justice Paul Rouleau to remark that he would clear "that half of the room" if they did not maintain their silence..Trudeau claimed he was not afraid. But he sure looked it..Having covered the inquiry from the beginning, the process has not gone well for Trudeau or his Liberal government. He and his key ministers have appeared out of touch and unwilling to consider Canadians have the right to disagree with Liberal policies and to strenuously protest those policies when they feel their lives or livelihood are endangered..Trudeau's eleventh-hour appearance did nothing to reassure opponents of his government or rehabilitate the authoritarian image that he has assiduously fashioned.
